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Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
Yeah...

I forgot to install an alternate browser when I did my PC setup initially and I used my own youtube account to listen to some music the other day.

That's always a huge mistake. I don't usually ever listen to music through youtube and I have very specific videos that I like coming up in my feed based off of my tastes. All it takes is a few hours of straying off of those subjects with other things like music and now my Recommended feed is 50% music videos that I have no interest in watching.

OPPS

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Originally posted by 1KIKI:
Hey Brenda - that sounds really enjoyable.

Just to share some humor - and don't take this the wrong way - I enjoy Cher's stuff and I like the persona she projects ... but some time ago I stumbled into an obscure website called 'misheard lyrics' (or something like that). Anyway, one of the misheard lyrics was ...
... but every night all the men would come around
And lay the monkey down.

Another one I remember - not Cher - was ...
dirty deeds, dunder sheep

I wish I could remember more. I was laughing so hard I could barely breathe.

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Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Hubby has been on a house fixit jag, and dd and I (mostly dd) have been his trusty helpers, so thinking about this in reverse order

Yesterday we changed out six doorknobs because he realized that they were lockable ... and we didn't have the keys to any of them.

The day before, he completed a modification to our bed's headboard, which meant adding a "bumper" and rim to headboard shelf so that the headboard wouldn't get in the way of the drapes and things wouldn't fall down between the headboard and the wall.

Before that, it was putting up the curtain rods and curtains in our bedroom.

Before that, it was fixing the garage door springs. Just as an expreiment, both dd and I tried extending the springs to hook it onto the C clip. No way, Jose!

Before that, it was trimming the bottoms of some doors so we could stil get airflow with the doors shut. That's when we discovered that these doors were HEAVY ... they have some kind of metal reinforcement in the solid (wood) core. This is another thing that dd and I tried carrying. It's a good thing hubby has got more muscle than both of us combined!

Before that, it was putting up dd's curtains and rod.

In the very near future I've got a bunch of items to collect up for donation because two different organizations will be here on Thursday, plus we are selling a car to our (formerly homeless) sometime gardener for a buck, but I have to get it smogged first b4 we can xfer title.

I've been taking care of year-end financial things ... but I have had seven large and supposedly reliable institutions (including a bank, credit union, and Medicare) fuck up something simple but important which has taken me multiple steps to get fixed because they were dragging their feet or providing me with moving targets for a solution. Kinda frustrating and scary at the same time because they have the power to make these problems entirely unfixable. Fortunately I have only one last problem to tackle... So far... I'm just waiting for another fuckup.

I have finally developed a partial solution for this continuing stuffy nose/infection?/allergy?/lack of sense of smell, and I'm sure my doctors would be horrified if they knew. I'm continuing my allergy shots and nose rinses as Rx'd, I tried the antihistamine nasal spray (so far not helping) but I've added one twist of my own: I've added a little bit (about 1 teaspoon) of vodka to my saline rinse. I don't know if I'm denaturing allergens in my nose or killing germs or just bitch-slapping my mucus membranes (" Stop being so sensitive! "smack*) but it really seems to be dialing down that blockage, allowing things to drain, and letting me dial back on the decongestant, so I feel like I'm making progress.

*****

SIX, how's the back? On the way to being fully mended?

BRENDA, all set for Xmas?

KIKI, I'm sure you'll figure out that recipe! when you do, pleae post it online!



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Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

I'd nuke a BILLION PEOPLE if it would save the other 7 billion from living under Putin. Hell, I might go all the way to the last 100 people on Earth to keep this planet from being under fascist rule.- WISHIMAY

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Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
No snow yet Brenda?

I'll trade you.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Originally posted by SIGNYM:
I have a fear of heights, but I was Ok as long as there was a railing or safety cage. I hated working on roofs, even tho they were only 15-20 ft off the ground. No idea how I would fare now- probably not anywhere near as well!!

I kinda feel like I learned a lot everywhere I worked. When I worked at a pharma I learned about FDA GLPs (Good Lab Practices) and GMPs (Good Manufacturing Processes). When I worked at university biomedical I learned how to fix instruments. When I was a source tester I learned about a lot of industrial processes because I had a phenomenal supervisor who knew everything about everything. When I worked for government I learned about policymaking and regulation and legal requirements for prosecution and all that good stuff.

Every job was a learning experience, but I feel like EVERY job is a learning experience! When I worked telephone sales I saw how donations were divied up among the sales staff, "runners" and managers and how only a little bit went to the cause. I also learned that I sucked at it and hated it, all at the same time!

So I feel that every job is a peek into what makes things work. I hope you all will share your experiences, insight and knowledge!

*****

Power generation plants: Those big hulking things that look like enormous square buildings with pipes running around the outside and giant tall smokestacks ...

Well, their function is quite simple. The big multi-story boxes are "boilers" ... literally, a box with gas (or oil) jets inside, squirting fuel and making flame. All that stuff on the outside are fuel and air lines and catwalks for access ... nothing more. And inside that fiery box are tubes filled with water, which is turned to steam, and the steam goes out and drives a turbine. The rotating turbine turns a generator which creates electricity.

There are a lot of refinements added to those power plants ... for example, they run the incoming air ("combustion air") through a pre-heater before they use the air to burn the fuel in order to maximize the boiler temperature and thus the efficiency. They control the flow of combustion air because there is a fine line between not enough and too much. Not enough creates carbon monoxide - a deadly pollutant. Too much creates nitrogen oxides - another serious pollutant. And waaay too much makes the flame unstable ... the flame actually starts to flutter close to going out. So they want to meter in only just as much air required for complete combustion, plus an extra three percent oxygen ("just in case"). For this reason they monitor the oxygen content of the exhaust gas to make sure that they've got complete combustion plus a little bit leftover O2, but not too much.

The big power plants in southern CA have all been converted from oil to gas many years ago, so now ALL power plants run on nat gas, even the littler ones ("peaker units") that are turned on to supply extra electricty during times of peak demand (hot weather).

One more thing about power plants ... they all have to be "in phase" which means that the cyclical rise and fall of voltage has to line up from all the power plants at the same time. Considering that long power lines introduce a delay, they have to take that into account too.

Did you know that there is a huge DC (direct current, not AC) transmission line from the northwest to the southwest?

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Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

I'd nuke a BILLION PEOPLE if it would save the other 7 billion from living under Putin. Hell, I might go all the way to the last 100 people on Earth to keep this planet from being under fascist rule.- WISHIMAY

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Quote:

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Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:

Quote:

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Originally posted by SIGNYM:
I have a fear of heights, but I was Ok as long as there was a railing or safety cage. I hated working on roofs, even tho they were only 15-20 ft off the ground. No idea how I would fare now- probably not anywhere near as well!!

I kinda feel like I learned a lot everywhere I worked. When I worked at a pharma I learned about FDA GLPs (Good Lab Practices) and GMPs (Good Manufacturing Processes). When I worked at university biomedical I learned how to fix instruments. When I was a source tester I learned about a lot of industrial processes because I had a phenomenal supervisor who knew everything about everything. When I worked for government I learned about policymaking and regulation and legal requirements for prosecution and all that good stuff.

Every job was a learning experience, but I feel like EVERY job is a learning experience! When I worked telephone sales I saw how donations were divied up among the sales staff, "runners" and managers and how only a little bit went to the cause. I also learned that I sucked at it and hated it, all at the same time!

So I feel that every job is a peek into what makes things work. I hope you all will share your experiences, insight and knowledge!

*****

Power generation plants: Those big hulking things that look like enormous square buildings with pipes running around the outside and giant tall smokestacks ...

Well, their function is quite simple. The big multi-story boxes are "boilers" ... literally, a box with gas (or oil) jets inside, squirting fuel and making flame. All that stuff on the outside are fuel and air lines and catwalks for access ... nothing more. And inside that fiery box are tubes filled with water, which is turned to steam, and the steam goes out and drives a turbine. The rotating turbine turns a generator which creates electricity.

There are a lot of refinements added to those power plants ... for example, they run the incoming air ("combustion air") through a pre-heater before they use the air to burn the fuel in order to maximize the boiler temperature and thus the efficiency. They control the flow of combustion air because there is a fine line between not enough and too much. Not enough creates carbon monoxide - a deadly pollutant. Too much creates nitrogen oxides - another serious pollutant. And waaay too much makes the flame unstable ... the flame actually starts to flutter close to going out. So they want to meter in only just as much air required for complete combustion, plus an extra three percent oxygen ("just in case"). For this reason they monitor the oxygen content of the exhaust gas to make sure that they've got complete combustion plus a little bit leftover O2, but not too much.

The big power plants in southern CA have all been converted from oil to gas many years ago, so now ALL power plants run on nat gas, even the littler ones ("peaker units") that are turned on to supply extra electricty during times of peak demand (hot weather).

One more thing about power plants ... they all have to be "in phase" which means that the cyclical rise and fall of voltage has to line up from all the power plants at the same time. Considering that long power lines introduce a delay, they have to take that into account too.

Did you know that there is a huge DC (direct current, not AC) transmission line from the northwest to the southwest?

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

I'd nuke a BILLION PEOPLE if it would save the other 7 billion from living under Putin. Hell, I might go all the way to the last 100 people on Earth to keep this planet from being under fascist rule.- WISHIMAY

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I haven't learned anything at a job in 12 years other than how to do physical tasks as efficiently as possible

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]Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
Freaking cold here tonight. 22 degrees dipping down to 13 overnight. I didn't think I was imagining that it got colder than usual in my house.

Whatever snow we have will be gone by Christmas though. Looking at 48 degrees on Tuesday.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Originally posted by SIX:

I haven't learned anything at a job in 12 years other than how to do physical tasks as efficiently as possible

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Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Like... how?

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See... That's really, really hard to explain. Couple that fact with having very little patience with other people and you'll know why I did not enjoy having to train other people.

Not to sound like a dick, but being in these low level positions that I've been working, I'm probably among what amounts to an extremely small percentage of people who can actually say that the work they're doing is far beneath their abilities.

But... I enjoy it. And if I'm getting paid while getting a great workout and making something better than anybody else either isn't capable of doing or would never put the effort into it, I'm fine with that as long as you stay the hell away from me and let me do my thing, and you don't expect me to train somebody else who is never going to be half as good at the job as I am.

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and how to manipulate managers into doing what I want them to do.

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OMG now THAT is useful skill!!! Tell me all about it!

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Well... the first thing is what I said above. You have to literally be the best there is at something. But you also have to be working for much less money than you're worth.

Now... If you meet those two requirements, it doesn't do any good to complain about the fact that you're not getting paid what you're worth, or the fact that you're the best at what you do is going to be nullified almost immediately when they know that every-time they talk to you it's going to be more complaining.

But I guess the third thing is being set up outside of work where you don't NEED to work there. I may have embellished to them how well off I was and that I was only doing it to work out, but my point is I wouldn't have been able to even pull that off if it weren't at least a half truth. I'm a terrible liar and they'd see right through that.

Make no mistake, when the new guy came in and threw his weight around, nobody was under any illusion that I was going to go back on my word and stick around under the new terms.


But, that's only half of it. I'm a terrible public speaker, and I don't like being in large groups, but I'm excellent in 1-on-1 conversations. It's very rare that I have a manager (at least a direct one) who doesn't love having me around. I've learned how to balance a lot of these things. I know that most companies aren't ever going to give me what I'm worth monitarily speaking, but after a little provisional period where I just keep my mouth shut, learn how they used to do the job and figure out ways to do it better, and I quickly make myself the top performer on a team, I'm usually able to get some other side perks that others aren't going to have offered to them.


I dunno. I don't think I could write a book on it or anything. It's more instinctual at this point than a procedure. I'm pretty unique in a lot of ways... most of them, arguably negative. But I guess you have to just work with what you've got and make that work for you. I'm sure there are plenty of younger, better looking, and more charismatic people who have the gift of gab and can get people to do what they want them to do without having to have the insane performance levels that I do at a job.

If I REALLY had some sort of mind control powers, I wouldn't be looking to start my dozen or so attempt at starting somewhere else at the bottom of the ladder is all I'm sayin'.

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Freaking cold here tonight. 22 degrees dipping down to 13 overnight. I didn't think I was imagining that it got colder than usual in my house.

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Rain and cold (at least by So Cal standards) predicted beginning Sunday and for 5 days. The nights are pretty nippy for these parts. We set the thermostat for 63F at night and bc the way hthe system is set up our bedrooms are at 65F, and I'll bet you dollars to donuts we'll STILL use a lot of gas!

May your Christmas be merry, even if not white!

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I green Christmas already is halfway there to a merry one in my books.

You too.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Originally posted by 1KIKI:

Quote:

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]Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
Freaking cold here tonight. 22 degrees dipping down to 13 overnight. I didn't think I was imagining that it got colder than usual in my house.

Whatever snow we have will be gone by Christmas though. Looking at 48 degrees on Tuesday.

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Damn, that's cold.

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Originally posted by 6IXSTRINGJACK:
Bummer.

It's funny to hear my parents talk about how "cold" it gets down by them now. "OMG! We had to wear jeans and a sweater last night!"

lol

Do Right, Be Right. :)

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Originally posted by SIGNYM:
Im glad you're celebrating the holidays with friends BRENDA!

Me, I'm still not ready. As usual! This year tho I have a legitimate excuse ... too many home repairs bunched up before Xmas!

We were watching one of those home renovation shows ... Love It Or List It Too which takes place in western Canada (Probably Vancouver or nearby but you would have to tell me about it if you recognize landmarks, BRENDA!) and they were talking about the difficulties of renovating a 100-year-old home and all of the problems that can be encountered (settling, rot, undersized utilities, bad pipes etc.) and it suddenly struck me ... OUR home is almost 70 years old! It's not 100 years but definitely qualifies as an "older home" and is showing its age! NO WONDER we've had to make so many repairs! Over the past ten years new roof, new copper water supply, new heat/AC, new flooring, new demand water heater, new waste lines, new irrigation system, replaced most of the windows, moved a door, rewired the garage ... and still have a lot of things to do!

Anyway, now I know that it's not just bad luck with our house, it's normal and expected. When we moved in lo these many years ago the house was not yet "old". Time sure flies!


Anyway BRENDA, MERRY CHRISTMAS IN YOUR NICE COZY FUNCTIONAL HOME! May you create many happy memories there!


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Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

I'd nuke a BILLION PEOPLE if it would save the other 7 billion from living under Putin. Hell, I might go all the way to the last 100 people on Earth to keep this planet from being under fascist rule.- WISHIMAY

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Originally posted by Brenda:
BC ferries is cancelling sailings as the winds are whipping up between the mainland and Vancouver Island.

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"Love It or List It" is filmed in Vancouver. I've seen the ads on tv.

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Originally posted by Brenda:
Christmas tree partially decorated. Will finish tomorrow. Watched news and M*A*S*H and wired ornaments. Now just have to remember where I put my Star Trek and 1 Star Wars ornaments.

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Originally posted by 1KIKI:

Quote:

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Originally posted by Brenda:
BC ferries is cancelling sailings as the winds are whipping up between the mainland and Vancouver Island.

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I see your wind on this real-time globe, but it looks like the state of Washington is getting slammed. https://earth.nullschool.net/

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Originally posted by SIGNYM:

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"Love It or List It" is filmed in Vancouver. I've seen the ads on tv.

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OK!

Maybe you can solve a mystery for me! Here is one of my favorite videos ..

I've spent some time noodling over WHERE it was filmed! Thinking ... maybe on the Hudson River just north of New York City. Maybe some tony place in the Adirondacks, Finger Lakes,or Catskills. But right around 1:10 there is a very characteristic bridge ... same bridge I think I see in Love it or List it Too and it looks exactly like it. Do you recognize the landmarks?

BTW ...all of those people, having more fun than I ever had ... definitely NOT in my experience! But it sure looks nice!

-----------
Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

I'd nuke a BILLION PEOPLE if it would save the other 7 billion from living under Putin. Hell, I might go all the way to the last 100 people on Earth to keep this planet from being under fascist rule.- WISHIMAY

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Originally posted by SIGNYM:

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Originally posted by Brenda:
Christmas tree partially decorated. Will finish tomorrow. Watched news and M*A*S*H and wired ornaments. Now just have to remember where I put my Star Trek and 1 Star Wars ornaments.

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Oh Jeez. Still have to buy the Christmas tree.

I get a puny little one ... chin-high ... something dear daughter and I can handle because ... that's all I can manage!!! Fortunately dear daughter is much stronger than I am!

*****

Well, St Vincent de Paul and Habitat for Humanity came by yesterday and picked up some boxes of household items and a bunch of boxes of leftover flooring and a big leftover bookcase. It was hard prying some cherished junk out of dear daughter's hands, but necessary to help organize her room. Better yet, the leftover flooring was taking up a lot of garage space and the leftover bookcase was taking up a lot of office space, and I hope with that experience hubby will get behind the idea of getting rid of even more "big stuff".

Today, I hope I'm going to be able to be entirely domestic and housewifely. No going to chase after insurances (still have one BIG problem to solve) and financial institutions or help with house repair or line up donations or sell our car or honcho the gardening or contemplate geopolitical events or redesign our laundry or manage our prescriptions any of that stuff.

Today, I hope to just make some green chili salsa (several kinds of green peppers, a bunch of cilantro, onion, garlic, lime or lemon juice, and salt; blenderized), cook dinner (baked tofu and stir fry) and have enuf time to do it so we're not eating at 8 or 9PM, and just kind of recoup and regroup from being pulled in a dozen different directions. Oh, and buy that tree! That's the hope, anyway!




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Pity would be no more,
If we did not MAKE men poor - William Blake

I'd nuke a BILLION PEOPLE if it would save the other 7 billion from living under Putin. Hell, I might go all the way to the last 100 people on Earth to keep this planet from being under fascist rule.- WISHIMAY

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BRENDA: "Love It or List It" is filmed in Vancouver. I've seen the ads on tv.

SIGNY: OK!
Maybe you can solve a mystery for me! Here is one of my favorite videos ..

I've spent some time noodling over WHERE it was filmed! Thinking ... maybe on the Hudson River just north of New York City. Maybe some tony place in the Adirondacks, Finger Lakes,or Catskills. But right around 1:10 there is a very characteristic bridge ... same bridge I think I see in Love it or List it Too and it looks exactly like it. Do you recognize the landmarks?
BTW ...all of those people, having more fun than I ever had ... definitely NOT in my experience! But it sure looks nice!


BRENDA: Hi Sig. Looking at the scenery I thought it was one of the lakes here in BC BUT when I saw the bridge I KNEW it wasn't filmed in BC. There are no bridges in BC that look like that. So, I went and looked it up. It was filmed in Washington State and little into Oregon. That bridge is in Washington State.

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BRENDA: BC ferries is cancelling sailings as the winds are whipping up between the mainland and Vancouver Island.

KIKI: I see your wind on this real-time globe, but it looks like the state of Washington is getting slammed. https://earth.nullschool.net/

BRENDA: Washington State and BC share a lot of wind and rain. So if we are taking a wind beating then the coast of Washington is too.

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